communication

It’s strange being away from family on important occasions, like birthdays or graduations or announcements. Today is my Dad’s birthday, and I am sat talking to him through FaceTime. It’s great technology has advanced to a point where we can communicate this easily over long distances, but it is never quite the same. The time difference always plays a part, though staying up is a price I am more than willing to pay. I miss my family dearly, but I still am happy with the choice I made to go to school so far away. At least with technology I can see my family and my puppy, and wish my Dad a happy birthday!

I did it! Guys, I finally finished my application for study abroad and now it is completely turned in and ready to be sent off. What a relief to not have it hanging over my head any more. Now all I need to worry about is whether or not they will let me in. Fingers crossed they do!

In other news, I’m looking for some advice about living with roommates. Hypothetically, say a person you live with has a complete disregard for personal space and they really are not considerate when it comes to being quiet when someone is trying to sleep or study. How do you deal with this? Should one talk to the roommate? Or just try to ignore it and hope it doesn’t get worse? Help!

I hope everyone has had a great week and is looking forward to the weekend. Any exciting plans?

“It’s never a good idea to discuss religion or politics withpeople you don’t really know.” Agree or disagree?

I don’t believe in creating restrictions on what people can or cannot talk about. Our world is so overrun with ‘political correctness’ that it is nearly impossible to say exactly what you want without offending at least one person, if not many more. How are we to have a conversation about the hard questions if we’re not allowed to ask them?

Right now there are so many things happening internationally that require a lot of discussion to fully understand. Clear communication is essential to allow people all over the world to understand the different views of situations. As the world becomes more and more connected, this idea will only become increasingly necessary.

If a group of mature people want to talk about religion and politics, I say go for it. You are likely to learn something that changes the way you see the world, and how you interact with other people. On the flip side, you’ll probably help someone else realize something as well. It is the hard conversations that change the world and help us most to grow.

I do have one caveat. There is a line between discussing and preaching. I do not think it is at all fair to try to force my own opinions and beliefs on others. I don’t know their full story, therefore I really have no right to tell them what is best for their own life. So discussing ideas is fine, asking questions and talking, but I believe it is important to allow others to have their own beliefs.